The Federal Government’s decision to extend the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) until June 2029 was rightly welcomed by Blayney Meals on Wheels – but Service Manager Leeanne Wright says the announcement should not be mistaken for the end of the conversation.
Last issue, Village Voice reported that Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler had confirmed CHSP would remain a standalone program through to 2029, providing much-needed certainty for providers, volunteers and the older Australians who rely on entry-level support to remain independent at home.
For Blayney Meals on Wheels, that certainty matters.
“The extension to 2029 is an important and very welcome stabilising moment for our service,” Ms Wright said. “It means our funding continues, our volunteer-supported model remains intact, and our clients can rely on the same affordable, preventative services they receive today.”
The Government has since made its longer-term intention clearer, saying it believes CHSP should remain separate from Support at Home. However, consultation will now determine what the redesigned program looks like, including funding arrangements, client contributions and the future role of block funding.
For Ms Wright, those details are critical.
Under the current CHSP model, Blayney Meals on Wheels receives block funding which allows the organisation to provide considerably more than simply a meal.
Clients currently pay between $7 and $12 for a meal, depending on their menu choice. Delivery by a volunteer, a friendly welfare check, fridge and pantry safety checks, home safety observations and care plan reviews when required are supported through the broader service model.
It is the difference between looking at Meals on Wheels as a food delivery service and recognising it as preventative care.
“This model works because CHSP is designed as early-intervention care, not transactional care,” Ms Wright said. “It keeps people well, connected and independent before they need more intensive support.”
Her concern is what could happen if future funding arrangements move too far towards a fee-for-service structure. Ms Wright estimates that, without the protections of the existing model, a meal itself could cost between $15 and $18, with delivery potentially adding $15 to $25 and a wellbeing and safety check adding another $20.
What is currently an affordable meal and visit could potentially become a service costing upwards of $50 – and in some circumstances approaching $68.
For an older person living on a fixed income, that could mean making the decision to simply go without. Ms Wright fears the consequences would reach far beyond missing a meal.
Reduced access could mean increased social isolation, declining health and older people requiring more intensive aged care or hospital services earlier – exactly the outcomes CHSP’s early-intervention approach aims to prevent.
The Government has acknowledged the importance of this model. Almost 40 per cent of CHSP clients live outside major cities, while around 1,300 organisations currently provide CHSP services across Australia, including councils, not-for-profits and community organisations.
The next three years will therefore be important.
Blayney Meals on Wheels wants the redesigned CHSP to retain block funding for rural and regional providers, provide growth funding as demand and costs increase, protect volunteer-supported services and keep client contributions affordable.
It also wants safeguards for rural communities and “thin markets”, where there may simply be no alternative provider available. Ms Wright said councils, MPs, regional Meals on Wheels organisations and the community all have a role to play during the consultation period – from advocating for appropriate funding to volunteering, donating and sharing the stories of people who depend on these services.
“We have won the first stage – keeping CHSP separate from Support at Home,” she said. “But now we must ensure the redesigned CHSP continues to protect rural communities like Blayney.”
For Blayney Meals on Wheels, 2029 provides breathing room. The challenge now is making sure what comes next preserves the community-based service that has made Meals on Wheels about much more than the meal.
